April 2012
research and publications
Study looks at hazards of gardening close to traffic in Toronto
A University of Toronto study led by Professor Clare Wiseman of the Centre for
Environment is looking at the hazards of gardening in close proximity to traffic in Toronto.
Since 2010, common garden plants such as oregano and eggplant were cultivated at four
locations: two locations on the U of T’s downtown St. George campus (on Galbraith
Building’s rooftop and at the corner of St. George St. and Hoskin Ave.) and two in the west
end of Toronto near the Gardiner Expressway. Dr. Wiseman will give a presentation on
this research at the Centre for Environment’s Research Day on Wed April 18. Her
research was also featured in the Spring 2012 issue of U of T magazine. Read more…
Scholars say global governance overhaul needed for earth’s sustainability
A group of the world’s leading environmental scholars are sounding the alarm that human societies
need to transform their national and international environmental institutions into a more coherent and
robust planetary stewardship model to steer away from rapid and irreversible changes to the Earth’s
subsystems. Professor Steven Bernstein (Dept. of Political Science and Director of the Master of
Global Affairs Program, Munk School of Global Affairs) is one of the authors of a paper which
appeared in the March 16th issue of the journal Science. .Read more…
honours and appointments
Engineering professor awarded Canada Research Chair to study ways to
reduce energy consumption in cloud computing
Professor Joyce Poon of the Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical and Computer
Engineering explores ways to reduce the energy consumed by computing devices, in particular
cloud computing which uses remote servers to maintain data and applications.
She is one of four University of Toronto researchers awarded a prestigious Canada Research
Chair (CRC) on March 13, 2012. As the CRC in Integrated Photonic Devices, Dr. Poon is
exploring how these connections might be made with light instead, which would be much more
energy efficient. Read more…
Miriam Diamond serves as first Canadian Associate Editor of Environmental
Science & Technology journal
Professor Miriam Diamond of the Department of Geography has been appointed as the first Canadian
Associate Editor of the journal Environmental Science & Technology (ES&T) from January 2012.
ES&T is an authoritative source of information for professionals in a wide range of environmental
disciplines. The journal combines magazine and research sections and is published both in print and online.
Named Canadian Geographic’s Canadian Environmental Scientist of the Year in 2007, her research
interests address the dynamics of organic and inorganic contaminants in lakes, urban areas, aquatic foodwebs, and indoor environments. More information on Dr. Diamond’s research....
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students
Environmental Career Day: a helpful annual event for University
and College students
The Centre for Environment was pleased to co-present the 2012 Environmental Career
Day on March 2, 2012. This annual day-long spring event is open to all registered
university and community college students, at U of T and elsewhere. With 200 students
in attendance this year, it included a career expo with 21 exhibitors from government,
consulting and non-governmental organizations, and professional graduate programs at
U of T, who provided students with useful information, career advice and many potential
career, job and volunteer opportunities. Read more…
upcoming events
Wed April 18, 1:00 to 3:30 pm: Centre for Environment Research Day (free registration): Join us during Earth Week for a look at some
of the research conducted by faculty and graduate students of the Centre for Environment. Featured will be four research presentations
followed by a presentation of graduate students' awards. Topics include health impacts of gardening in Toronto, politics of the Toronto
waterfront, humans and the environment in modern China, and livelihoods in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest. Location: Faculty Club,
2nd floor, 41 Willcocks St.
April 20-21: The Nuclear Industry in the 21st Century: How We Got Here. This workshop is presented by the Nuclear International
Research Group, an interdisciplinary group of academics and graduate students from different countries working on various aspects of
the global nuclear industry. Its aim is to examine how nuclear technology has transformed the politics, cultures, economies, ways of
living, and landscapes in nations around the world. The workshop papers examine past nuclear accidents, occupational health and
safety issues, public health, the role of scientists, energy, public attitudes to radiation, communication by and about the nuclear industry,
and varied public policy issues associated with the nuclear industry in Canada and around the world throughout the 20th century. For
information on pre-registration (deadline April 15) and attendance, please contact Laurel MacDowell.
May 1-4: Carbon Professional Path. The Centre for Environment, in partnership with HR Carbon, is presenting this course leading to
CSA Standards globally recognized professional GHG Inventory Quantifier Certification demonstrating competence to develop, quantify,
assess and report GHG inventories. Location: 117 St. George St.
May 8-9: Sustainable Information Technology workshop. Information technology is one of the primary consumers of electricity in public
and private sector organizations, accounting for approximately 5% of global power and emitting a comparable proportion of global
carbon emissions. The Centre for Environment, in partnership with IT in Canada, is presenting a 2-day workshop to provide managers
(IT and Non-IT) with the tools to plan and implement a decisive sustainable IT strategy. Location: Hart House, 5 Hart House Circle.
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Mona El-Haddad
Director's and Communications Assistant
Centre for Environment
33 Willcocks St., Suite 1016V
University of Toronto
Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E8 Canada
tel: 416-978-6526
fax: 416-978-3884
[email protected]
http://www.environment.utoronto.ca